If historians have given the late 1700’s and early 1800’s the title of the “Industrial Revolution”, we can well imagine that future historians are likely to call the late twentieth century and the early twenty-first century as the “Computer” or maybe the “Software Revolution.” The amazingly rapid development of technology has resulted in dramatic changes in the way people work and shop and also in how they enjoy their leisure. Old pastimes that have been known for generations seem as if they are heading for extinction yet one of the oldest recorded games known to man, the backgammon board game, seems to be going from strength to strength. Rather than yielding ground to the deluge of video and other computerized games developed over the last two decades, backgammon has managed to find itself a secure place on the technological bandwagon. At the center of the growing popularity of the game is the role of the many Internet sites offering free backgammon. As backgammon software brings backgammon into the twenty-first century the adaptability of this game to such a radically changes environment stands out in sharp contrast to the fate of many other leisure activities.

For generations backgammon sets have provided people with a welcome means of relaxation, and a way of making some money for those who become well versed in backgammon strategy. Many people have learned how to play backgammon while at school and have went on to become regular players in matches with friends at the local café, or on a more serious level in backgammon clubs. The game has also spawned a rich literature with books tracing the history of the game over five thousands years from its Middle Eastern origins, and other books describing classic games and providing tips on how to win. In this way the game has come to acquire millions of participants around the globe. Now that the game has been successfully adapted to an online format, the scope for growth in the player base and increase in the number of games played by experienced players is far greater than in any previous period.

Internet backgammon has removed the need to go out and look for a game to join. Online backgammon games are available around the clock. Even the time spent on backgammon setup is no longer required since with a click of the computer mouse, a backgammon download brings to your computer a game of backgammon set up and all ready to start. If a player wants to be reminded of any of the backgammon instructions, or maybe want to learn these for the first time, these sites have the required information prominently on display. Learning basic skills and strategy is also greatly facilitated by the chance of taking on a computerized opponent. There is no more need to wait till you can find a suitable game to join. The online backgammon community provides a pool of international players and this makes it easy to find someone to play against at a convenient time.

If you enjoy backgammon gambling and have tried playing online then you may be interested in some of the hot competitions and tournaments available for players on the net. These competitions are great fun and also offer some huge grand prizes for the winners. The best part is in many cases they are free to join –so it’s a win win situation for the players. This is just one of the reasons so many people are taking advantage of free backgammon on the net.

Usually a tournament involves a buy-in of some kind. But there’s something new and revolutionary going on on the Internet and it offer the player a chance to participate in high payout tournaments for free. It’s known as the backgammon freeroll tournament and it’s becoming extremely popular on the net. When a player has chosen a backgammon download and has registered and account they can play in one-on-one games for fun or for real money wagers. By playing and winning they accumulate points with the software provider and before long they will have enough points or credit to use towards a no-cost buy-in for one of the many freeroll tournaments online.

The same backgammon board game that people have played for centuries is available online and it offers the same great fun and action. It’s always important to read the backgammon instructions before playing in a tournament to make sure you are familiar with all the rules and regulations. Next, you’ll want to practice as much as possible in order to improve your overall backgammon strategy. By playing in free mode you can play as often as you like –and as they say “practice makes perfect”.

The backgammon game download is available from several leading software providers on the net. Again, it’s a great way to play with people from all around the world. Some people enjoy community games like backgammon just for the social aspect and the chance to make new friends in different countries. Backgammon software is usually free to download and use. Then once it’s set up the player can choose between fun games for free and real money wagering.

If you’re new to the game, it’s easy to learn how to play backgammon. There are thousands of helpful sites that offer rules, tips and strategies on how to play. Take all this into consideration and practice and then when you’re ready you can join one of the many hot freeroll tournaments on the net for a crack at some huge grand prizes. If you’ve played backgammon board games in real life you’ll be amazed at how life-like and realistic the software version is. High speed internet connections make playing online backgammon a breeze, give it a try yourself.

The Backgammon we see today didn?t start in just one day; instead the history of the game of backgammon is the outcome of a number of evolution processes over a long period of time. Along with Go and Chess, Backgammon is also considered one of the oldest games but it was more popular than the first two. In America, this game became so popular that the game board became a common sight in all homes, just like Chess.

In ancient times, different types of Game of Tables that were played on a board of 24 points where popular. These games used to be distinguished from each other by the position of the players at the start of the game. A game similar to backgammon first appeared in the middle ages and was generally named according to the land where it was played. For example, it was known as Shuanglu in China, Todas Tablas in Spain etc. Backgammon played in England during the Renaissance was called Irish and in France, it was popular as Toutes Tables. Historically, the game is in vogue since the 12-13 century BC. In England, Backgammon appeared in 1635.

According to Backgammon history, there is also another school of supporters who argue that the Backgammon is more than 5000 years old and dates back to the Mesopotamian culture. This is strengthened by the occasional archeological findings of board games that are very similar to the present day Backgammon. The older variant of the game was seen both in Egyptian culture as well as Indian. Interestingly, the Romans played this game with 3 dices.

It is when the game reached Persia that they took away one dice and made it a 2-dice game. From Persia, this game gained acceptance among Anglo Saxon culture and during the Crusades, soldiers and traders began pursuing it under the name ‘Tabula’. The game was so easy to be played that even a few drawings on sand or any hard surface with small stones in place of dices would enable anyone to play it. Although the Church tried to ban this game, it never worked out. The last attempt by the Church to put an end to the game by terming it ‘the devil’s folly’ was thwarted by English craftsmen who developed the foldable or book-like game boards that were easy to hide. And till this day, the Backgammon boards come in the foldable format.

After a short spell during the Victorian age, the Backgammon gaming gained acceptance among Americans by early 20th century. It is in this period that the doubling cube appeared which gave freshness to the game by increasing the stakes for the winner.

Even today, Backgammon entices those who have a passion for this game. The simplicity of the game board attracts more people to it than a game of the popular Chess. Backgammon is fast-paced yet requires a gaming skill and of course a lot of luck.

If we were to draw up a league table of the most successful board games, backgammon has an excellent claim to a place at the top of the list. First of all, it would be hard to find a game that has been played since the very beginnings of recorded human history. Historians have discovered that the backgammon set and the backgammon game we are familiar with today have their origins in the Fertile Crescent — the area in the Near East that is now divided between Iraq and Iran. Although these backgammon sets used stones for counters, and bone for dice, they would be recognizable to contemporary players. In a similar vein, our ancestors knew how to play backgammon in a way that was not so radically different from how we play it today.

From the Near East, the game spread through the Roman Empire and up into Northern Europe. Although the Roman game of backgammon, or tabula as it was known, has some differences from the game we are familiar with today, it had many common features. To play backgammon became a favorite pastime of the Roman aristocracy. The Emperor Claudius became the most famous player in the ancient world and certainly helped raise the profile of the game. However, it seems the main reason for the game’s popularity in the Roman world was backgammon gambling. Historical evidence indicates that tabula was only played for stakes, unlike today’s backgammon that many people play for the enjoyment value alone.

Certainly many of the games known in ancient times have not survived the test of time. If we try to understand why backgammon has not shared their fate, the simplicity of the backgammon rules and its adaptability to changing times stands out as key reasons for its survival. Backgammon has shown itself adaptable to a wide range of different cultures and nations. Over the past fifteen years, its transformation into one of the most successful Internet games has come to provide further proof of how a five thousand year old game is able to continue to maintain its popularity.

The developers of online backgammon have managed to create backgammon software that offers an exciting 3-D virtual replication of the much-beloved backgammon board game. Backgammon online comes to meet the demands of the twenty first century for instant entertainment with a high quality visual representation. It also satisfies popular demands for access to leisure activities at times that suit the playing public. By bringing together backgammon enthusiasts from around the world, Internet backgammon takes the game into new dimensions. The range of game levels and the variety of opponents available, combined with the opportunities to perfect playing skills against a sophisticated gaming computer, add a great deal to backgammon’s contemporary attractiveness. The generous sums of prize money offered to winning players, also serves to draw in many new patrons to the online backgammon sites. In addition, through publicizing the rules of the game and giving clear explanations of how to play online, these sites have done a great deal to increase interest in the game, and so help ensure its continued popularity for years to come.

The disadvantages of the internet in general and online gaming in particular are known to everyone. We’ve all heard how internet games can ruin your family, damage your health and destroy your life. Recently, new voices are heard. Recent studies show that when it comes to development and improvement of thinking abilities, it turns out that playing online games has many benefits.

We all know that playing computer and online games is fun. Therefore, we cannot take our eyes off our PC screens even if the phone is ringing, our favorite TV show is about to begin or our dinner is burned on the stove.

All of us have already heard bad things about this amusing pastime. We all know that online games are addictive; they can cause you and your children to spend valuable time in front of the computer on the expense of work, school and family obligations. Playing video and internet games on a regular basis can isolate you from human companionships, distort your sense of reality, shorten your sight, damage your back and basically mess up your life.

Let’s put it this way: if you or someone you know is doing nothing but playing online games, it is something to worry about. However, most online gamers tend to adopt a less radical approach towards their habit. Then, when talking about milder cases of addiction, online gaming is less harmful habit than watching Dr. Phil, for example.

Actually, the habit of playing online games has many advantages that the habit watching bad TV is lacking. Recent research has shown that playing puzzle and word games decreases the risk of Alzheimer disease while watching daytime television increases the risk.

Many other researches have proved the positive effect of playing online games on the youngsters’ mind. Word, puzzle and trivia games enriches the children’s speech; classic computer games such as Tetris benefits the kids’ ability to focus, analyze shapes, think and plan ahead; board games like backgammon and chess can help in the area of thinking skill and so on.

While watching TV is completely passive, you are required to do nothing but stare, overhear and open bags of chips, playing computer games, still not an Olympic sport, require you more often to recall that grey substance inside your head.

Additionally, playing online games is less solitary act than most people think. First, many types of games, including shooting games, sports games, backgammon, billiard and chess, are two or multi player games in which players can compete against each other. Additionally, most gaming sites add several features that encourage interaction between gamers including forums, chats, multiplayer games and tournaments, etc.

The bottom line is that online gaming, if taken in a reasonable dosage, is the opposite of harmful. Thanks to many of the online games advantages and their contribution to thinking skill development, parents can allow their children to play them, and play them themselves.

The good news is, of the more than 2,000 online gambling websites ready and willing to show gamblers a good time, the overwhelming majority are totally on the up and up, kosher, legit, and absolutely worthy of your business. And of course, as in any industry, there are always those few dirty rotten swindlers responsible for giving the online gaming biz its less-than-nun-like reputation and consequently ruining things for the rest of us. So how can you know which gambling sites to trust?

Taking stock in publicly traded casinos

The fastest and easiest way to determine whether or not the online casino you’re about to deposit money with is indeed reliable is to first determine who in fact the operators of a particular gambling website are. Of the 2,000 out there, many are solo or limited multi-site operations. And then there are the major online gambling site operators managing often more than 10 gaming websites spanning the entire range of games including the ever-popular classics like poker, roulette, baccarat, slots, craps, blackjack, backgammon, keno, and bingo etc. These ”biggies” are often publicly traded firms which are subject to regular audits covering various aspects of the online gaming sector – beyond what may be common practice in other industries. For instance, the Random Number Generators driving online slots games undergo regular testing and must adhere to very strict guidelines. Granted, these public companies must ultimately answer to their shareholders, but like any business, should you fail to keep your clients satisfied first and foremost, they simply won’t want to play with you any more.

Trust is a must

Not all of these larger organizations advertise the fact that they’re part of a bigger consortium, thus making it slightly more difficult to know for sure. PartyGaming, for instance, makes no secret of the fact that they run a number of their own sites such as PartyPoker, PartyBingo, PartyCasino, and PartyGammon. PartyGaming also licenses out their software on which the games run to other gambling site operators outside the PartyGaming clan, as do many of the major gaming software developers like Playtech and Cryptologic, just to name a couple. Though these also publicly traded casino games developers may not operate their own gaming sites per se, they do license out their wares, however softly

Bettor shop around

Thus, software providers, especially the majors, are hell-bent on making certain that the games their licensees are providing remain consistently random. Anything less than fair-gaming practices and you can bet the software firm behind a casino site’s games will be cutting and running before the gambling bloggers and forums get word of any misdealings. After all, with so much competition out there, especially in light – or rather darkness – of the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and the ease in which gamblers can click from site to site, at the end of the gaming day the players are holding the cards.

The Internet has many websites to help you pass the time away and ease boredom. Some of these online distractions come in the form of Internet games that you can pay to play or as a free form of entertainment. Some of the available outlets allow you to play chess, checkers, solitaire, as well as playing backgammon online.

When you are interested in playing backgammon online, you can choose to either play against a human competitor or if you don’t feel like dealing with a real person, the computer is also equipped to play backgammon online.

There are plenty of websites to go to when you are in the mood for a game of backgammon, where you can even choose the option to play for cash prizes or achieve rankings for the best game players.

Gammon Village.com is a website that promises a good game of online backgammon. The site claims that there will be no Java or browser issues when using this website. The connections to play backgammon at this site are fast and stable, featuring entertaining and impressive graphics. When there is an issue regarding play, 24-hour customer support is available live and online. When downloading the software, you should know that it accommodates a variety of different languages, including Portuguese, Danish, and Japanese.

When you are looking to play backgammon online against a wide-range of playing levels, the realistic 3D Back-gammon.com website offers a large network of players. These players hail from all across the world, and games are for fun, as well as for monetary prizes. The software takes less than 5 minutes to download, and then you can engage in exciting single, session, and multiplayer tournament games. At the end of every game, each player receives a ranking - and those interested should keep in mind that all of the games are timed. It is also free to enjoy this backgammon experience, even featuring the option of joining a league.

If you are looking for a Java applet that allows you to play backgammon online, you should look into Motif, - played using Netscape, or Internet Explorer web browsers. With Motif, you are strictly playing against the computer. Another website that requires the use of a Java-enabled browser is Yahoo Games, which allows visitors to play online backgammon against computer opponents, as well as against a variety of gaming members. It is free to play using Yahoo, but more advanced options, such as joining a league requires a subscription to premium services.

The list of Internet sites to choose from when you wish to play backgammon online is endless. A few others to consider include: Vinco Online Game (VOG); Games Grid; GameSite 2000, as well as HC-Gammon, which allows you to play against a computer opponent. When seeking out At the Crosswords, you will encounter a Shockwave variety of backgammon that allows visitors to play against the computer.

Free backgammon is a term most internet savvy players will be familiar with, due to the amazing growth of online backgammon gaming sites. But for anyone not familiar with the world of backgammon online a little explanation is in order. What is generally meant by “free backgammon” is not a distribution of actual backgammon games free of charge, nor is it a reference to free membership at the local backgammon club. What we’re referring to is the backgammon software downloads that are available at no charge to the player from internet backgammon sites. With a basic Internet connection and a computer that can support the high-quality 3-D video backgammon software the player can download and play the game as often as they like for free. It’s a great way to learn the game, practice your strategy and just play non-competitive backgammon for free.

The vast majority of the players who download the free backgammon software are not simply interested in free gaming. In fact the main reasons for accessing backgammon Internet sites and downloading their software isn’t necessarily the interest in backgammon gambling but the ability to simply play for free, have fun and meet other avid players from all around the world. It’s like the world’s biggest backgammon club right at your fingertips.

But other players also see free games as a chance to practice for the big tournaments. The online backgammon industry has developed a reputation for hosting regular backgammon tournaments with high value prizes. These competitions are arranged at all levels, and even a player that doubts they have the skills to get to the final round and win the main prize, can hope for winning a substantial secondary prize if they are eliminated from the tournament in one of the higher qualifying rounds.

In addition to the skilled games, or those who hope to join their ranks, the businessperson who looks forward to play backgammon for relaxation, or to make a small gamble now and again, also finds the online sites a valuable resource. These players find it hard to find the time to go to their local backgammon club and they appreciate the chance to play the game when it fits in with their schedule. For example, if you finish a busy meeting in the early hours of the morning and wish to unwind over a game of backgammon, you will find someone to play against online or, if you prefer, you can play against a backgammon computer.

Another important group of online backgammon players are the new players to the game. A good proportion of these will want to access the articles and instructions available online to learn the backgammon rules. They will also look forward to the chance to practice how to play backgammon against one of the powerful backgammon computers where you can select a game at a level that suits your skills. Later they can find human opponents of a similar or slightly high skill level to further improve their play.

The popularity of Internet gambling has increased tremendously over the last decade and has spread all over the world. Australia is no exception to this phenomenon. Today Australian players can log into any online casino anywhere in the world and gamble there from the comfort of their homes. However Australian players have some marked advantages in playing in Australian online casinos and poker rooms. For one, these casinos accept Australian Dollars as currency and that is very convenient for Australian residents. There are no hassles of exchanging currency and the losses due to exchange rate fluctuations and bank commissions. Another advantage of playing in Australian online casinos is that the funds transfers are much smoother and take less time. Whether the player is funding his casino account of withdrawing from it, the speed of the transaction is of essence and this is where the local online casino scores.

One of the most popular Australian online casinos is au.888.com. It is the online home of the famous Australian former cricketer and now poker player. Apart from the casino au.888.com runs other online gaming activities such as poker, backgammon and bingo. The casino offers games in both download and no download formats and covers the entire range of casino games such as blackjack, roulette slots and video poker. Poker is one of the most popular games in Australian online casinos, with Texas Hold’em being a hot favorite. There are a number of poker tournaments and progressive games on offer and also bonuses and other regular features of online casinos all over the world.

Australian online casino players have their own online communities. Details and reviews of Australian online casinos can be found there. These communities offer various features such as news and casino forums. The latest events that are taking place at the various casinos are displayed in the news sections. Players can exchange their views in the forums. Online Australian players, and players from other countries as well, who want information on Australian casinos, both online and brick and mortar type, would do well to join such communities.

Online slots are one of the most popular games in Australian online casinos. In Australia online slots are known as “online pokies” or just “pokies”. In fact one of the largest slots manufacturers, Aristocrat, is an Australian company. Pokies are generally five reel, multi-line video slot games all of which have a bonus game of some sort. Konami is another pokies manufacturer that is very popular. Some of the popular slots games in the online casinos are Queen of the Nile, Indian Dreaming and Mr. Cashman.

The proliferation of Australian online casinos has been inhibited to a large extent by the gambling laws that are administered by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission. Though the laws do not now prohibit online gambling they put such cumbersome responsibilities on the online casino operators that very few companies are venturing into this field. Even those like au.888.com have registered themselves in Gibraltar so as to avoid being in Australian jurisdiction.